Samsung Beijing Headquarters
A pure geometry that glows in the Beijing skyline, a center of thought and accomplishment, and an image of undeniable achievement, the Beijing Office Project is a representation of a global business leader, an ideal future in China, and a balanced space that expresses a vision of this bright future
When designing a headquarters for a leading global enterprise, the ideals of the company should be considered and derived in a way where they become architectural expressions and key characteristics of the structure. This includes the contemplation of what a building should do, what a building should express, and how a building should interact in a major global business district.
The site of the Beijing Office Project is unique to the Beijing Central Business District. Its south east corner is a prominent visual identity addressing not only a major intersection but communicating with the central park, leaving the east edge for a pronounced entrance to the heart of the building. Additional considerations of the district’s master plan are the public spaces, pedestrian promenades, and retail frontages designated along the western and northern edges of the site.
With the tower mass pushed to the eastern edge to accept and address these conditions, the balance of proper day lighting control and views are the next concern when creating an office tower plan configuration to be an efficient, accommodating, and ideal office space. All of these considerations suggest a basic square plan shape that is slightly stretched and narrowed in order to balance the best use of leasing span dimensions along with a highly efficient core, essentially, an optimized square tower plan configuration.
The square is a harmonious architectural expression; it expresses a balanced and complete thought. The square is not only a desirable office layout, it is a representation of the company’s straight-forward, honest, and holistic approach to it’s identity as a global business leader.
The Beijing Office Project is a headquarters for this company’s future achievements in China as well as a center – ‘a square’ - for other quality organizations to find a place of advancement, betterment, and future achievements. The center is a balance of people, ideas, objectives, enterprise, and architecture. A world of great thought.
As the square is a correct thought in two dimensions, a cube is the quintessential expression of a square in three dimensions. The cube initiates an idealistic thought of space and a representation of consistency, dependability, and quality. Addressing the top of the Beijing Office Project is the Cube; an iconic shape that is the culmination of all the ideals of the Beijing Office Project. Visible as a transparent collection of people by day, it radiates as a glowing thesis of an admirable future by night; a light of the future.
• 58 story office tower with six level mixed-use podium and seven mixed-use below grade levels; total above grade project area 120,000 sm, gross total area 169,000 sm
• Beginning as an invited competition, my team and I developed the winning scheme. After the competition win there was a concept design revision phase which transitioned into complete schematic design and design development packages.
• Main role in the design team was developing the exterior wall for the entire project. This included multiple design options that were expressed to the client and consultants through computer renderings, detail drawings, design descriptions, and thorough glass selection studies including hand delivered samples.
• Coordinated with multiple consultants including the local/ project architect, structural engineer, façade engineer, and seven glass/ interlayer manufacture representatives.
• Attended meetings and workshops with my design team, the client, and consultants both locally in Chicago and abroad in Seoul, South Korea.
• The client has since asked the design team to be a construction document and administration design consultant as well as awarded the design team with additional design based commissions.
Final renderings are professionally done.